Page 25 - Flathead Beacon // 3.30.16

UNCOMMON GROUND MIKE JOPEK SPRING RETURNS
GUEST COLUMN BOB BROWN
IAWOKE THIS MORNING TO THE sound of rain splattering the metal roof. Given how awfully dry last sea- son was, it’s a great start to springtime.
Out at the farm, the garlic has sprouted from underneath its matting of mulch and the sorrel emerged lime green from the cold earth. Rhubarb stalks pushed up their coat of leaves, presenting pinkish red stalks to honor the return of spring.
Last month we pruned the apple and pear trees, and this week we’re trans- planting raspberries and mulching cur- rants. The fullness of farm work has begun.
I attended the Free the Seeds event at Flathead Valley Community College. Remarkably, some 1,600 people turned out to listen to farmers, gardeners, and other locals talk about things like seed, grafting and soil.
Organizers used a hand-clicker to count attendees swarming through the doors. Aside from the trading of seeds, magazines, and information, a favorite booth was presented by Nikki Reed, a teacher at White sh High School.
Reed presented conceptual drawings of the new greenhouse to be built on public school grounds. The idea sprouted from students and teachers, and over years adapted into a much bigger vision of education and sustainability.
Reed and colleague Eric Sawtelle have done a terri c job building enthusiasm with students and community members. It will be good to see the school farm proj- ect grow over the seasons.
The Free the Seeds event was full of gardeners and farmers. The cross section of youth to elderly was amazing. It’s hard to fathom that 1,600 people can come together for a three-hour farm and food event on a sunny Saturday morning.
I shouldn’t be surprised; thousands of people weekly swarm the multiple farm- ers’ markets in the Flathead Valley. Peo- ple are hungry for fresh local foods and equally eager to get their own hands into their own garden soil.
Three years ago when young moms organized a March Against Monsanto
event in Kalispell, some 500 people turned out to listen to talk about food and agrochemicals.
Compare the number of local people attending these kinds of events to my political campaign rallies eight years ago, when 400 hungry voters turned out to eat a 250-pound freshly roasted pig.
The food movement is on. Politicians who ignore the common bond of suste- nance will be shocked when consumers ght for food rights.
Montana eaters and farmers have a friend in Sen. Jon Tester. He’s leading on national food policy like the Farm Bill, and routinely stands up for consum- ers’ right to know what’s in our food and where on this planet the beef we eat was raised.
I’m bewildered that politicians at all levels of governance can ignore the vis- ible food movement throughout the nation. Food policy a ects all levels of governance from local councilors to state legislators to congresspersons.
The Food Policy Action put forward a newer scorecard to hold Congress accountable for votes that keep food safe, healthy and a ordable. In Montana, it’s no surprise Tester scored a 100 percent. Most voters would agree that over his time of service, Tester has been squarely on the side of eater, farmers, and home gardeners.
Sen. Steve Daines garnered a 40 per- cent, while Rep. Ryan Zinke got a 20 per- cent on the national scorecard from the food policy organization.
I’ve spent 25 years growing food, mul- tiple seasons picking apples, and chaired numerous statewide legislative commit- tees on agricultural. It’s time that the pol- itics of food take center stage, nationally and locally.
When politicians knock doors this year harvesting votes, they should look to people’s yards to see gardens, fruit trees, raised beds, potted vegetables and ow- ers spouting up all over town. Local farm- ers and gardeners aren’t necessarily big political donors like big food, but adults cook kids’ meals and eaters surely vote.
BCONVENTIONS ROKERED POLITICAL CON-
the probable winner, numerous delega- tions began changing their votes to sup- port him. When the dust settled, it was Eisenhower 845, and Taft 280. Among the “bitter enders” for Taft who didn’t get on Ike’s bandwagon was the entire Montana delegation.
In 1976, the Republicans again con- vened with no majority candidate. Chal- lenger Ronald Reagan slightly trailed President Gerald Ford. The Montana delegation was unanimous for Reagan.
The Reagan supporters suspected that the Ford forces had hinted to several prominent senators and governors that they were likely to be tapped by Ford to be his running mate. Reagan, therefore publically named as his running mate Pennsylvania Sen. Richard Schweiker, and proposed a rule to the convention that would require both candidates to reveal their running mate choices before any balloting for president. Rea- gan hoped that those not chosen by Ford, perhaps feeling deceived, would release their delegations to vote for Reagan. When the rule failed by a slender 51 vote margin, it was clear that Ford had a lock on the votes to win the nomina- tion, which he did, 1,187 to 1,070, with the Montanans sticking with Reagan.
It now appears possible, for the rst time since 1976, that no Republican can- didate will have a majority of delegates going into the 2016 national conven- tion. Montana Republican primary vot- ers need to know that by new state party rules, at least through the rst national convention roll call vote, this year’s del- egation must all agree to support the candidate who nishes rst in the June 6 primary election.
This is important because, occur- ring late in the process, Montana’s pri- mary and its small but solid block of 27 votes could be decisive in determin- ing whether there will be a brokered convention. So, in this year’s Republi- can primary election, cast your ballot carefully.
MONTANA AND BROKERED
“WHEN POLITICIANS KNOCK DOORS THIS YEAR HARVESTING VOTES, THEY SHOULD LOOK TO PEOPLE’S YARDS.”
Mike (Uncommon Ground) Jopek and Dave (Closing Range) Skinner often fall on opposite sides of the fence when it comes to political and outdoor issues. Their columns alternate each week in the Flathead Beacon.
“IT NOW APPEARS POSSIBLE, FOR THE FIRST TIME SINCE 1976, THAT NO REPUBLICAN CANDIDATE WILL HAVE A MAJORITY OF DELEGATES.”
Bob Brown is a former Republican Montana secretary of state and state Senate president.
ventions are neither good nor
bad. Sometimes they are simply necessary. That could be the case with the Republicans this year, as it was in 1952 and 1976.
The Montana delegation were “bit- ter-enders” at the contested 1952 Repub- lican national convention. The contest for the Republican presidential nomina- tion was between Ohio Sen. Robert Taft, and General Dwight Eisenhower.
Taft, the Republican Senate leader, was fondly known in Republican circles as “Mr. Republican.” He was a promi- nent member of the party “establish- ment.” The Ohio senator had opposed most of the New Deal programs. He and his supporters were critical of the “me-too” Republicans who had decided to accept them. Eisenhower, the insur- gent candidate, popularly known as Ike, was a newcomer to Republican politics, with no record on the issues.
The Montana delegation went to the national convention in Chicago pledged to Taft. While Taft and Eisenhower had each prevailed in ve state primaries, and neither had a majority of the dele- gates necessary to win the party nomi- nation, Taft had slightly more delegates than Eisenhower when the convention opened. The competition for a majority of delegates was erce, and the maneu- vering intense.
The critical development occurred over the seating of the Georgia and Texas, delegations where the established Republicans had considered only Taft loyalists to be delegates to the national convention. The Eisenhower faction challenged the seating of the Texans and Georgians, making a persuasive case for “fair play” in the convention oor debate. Their challenge prevailed, and with the seating of substitute delega- tions, Eisenhower pulled ahead of Taft in the delegate count.
On the rst ballot, Ike led 595 to 500, with 604 needed to win the nom- ination. Before a second ballot could begin, sensing that Eisenhower was
MARCH 30, 2016 // FLATHEADBEACON.COM
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